Google+ Pieces o' Eight: How to: Install FreeBSD on Windows Virtual PC

Friday 7 October 2011

How to: Install FreeBSD on Windows Virtual PC

DON'T BOTHER! YOU'LL ONLY WASTE YOUR TIME!

It took me about four hours to realise this, but Microsoft really don't want you hosting non-Microsoft operating systems in Windows Virtual PC. 95, 98, XP, Vista and hell even 7 hosting 7 works fine. Try a *nix O/S though and you're out of luck.

By the time I'd finally got FreeBSD installed - after much piss-balling about with vhd's - I thought I was on to a winner. But no. The cocking thing wouldn't boot and entered an eternal "Kernel Panic" reboot mode. Then, for fun, it did boot but wouldn't reboot properly. And finally, just for the kicks, it decided that the vhd was no longer a valid boot device!

I don't blame the FreeBSD lot for this. I installed VirtualBox and FreeBSD into it on the same machine and that worked fine. I'd suggest you do the same if you fell into the same Microsoft trap I fell into.

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